Just Accepted Apparel Industry Management Student is Passionate About Hip Hop, Sneakers, and Streetwear

Full Name: Bryan Joseph Morales
 
Age: 17 years old
 
Hometown: Cerritos, California
 
Year in School: Senior at San Juan Hills HS

FIDM Major: Apparel Industry Management

Campus and Start Date: Orange County, Fall 2012

Admissions Advisor: Joleen Harris

Tell us a bit about yourself. I've always taken pride in the way that I dress as it expresses who I am. I've been dressing myself ever since I transferred from a private to a public school in third grade. My elementary school classmates would tell you I wore nothing but NBA jerseys and Dragon Ball Z t-shirts. I began to stray away from the cartoon t-shirts around the age of 12, and by the seventh grade, streetwear was all I knew.

I'm an avid fan of Diamond Supply Co. and have been supporting their line for years. I aspire to own a line as successful as the owner, Nick Tershay, one day. As far as my style, hip-hop has easily had the most significant impact on what I wear. I have always appreciated the styles of Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, and many other music artists. My love for hip-hop has not only altered my perspective on many things growing up, it has played a large role in shaping my wardrobe throughout the years.
 
Basketball is something I have always loved as well. I have not stopped playing organized basketball since the age of seven, and I am currently playing AAU. With my love for basketball as well as clothing, it only makes sense that I'm the type that will drool over a pair of sneakers. I have a huge appreciation for Air Jordans because of how much I love the game of basketball and the history behind each sneaker.

What are your proudest accomplishments so far? Making the decision to study at FIDM in order to pursue my dream career is something I am very proud of. Along with making the decision, I'm proud of the person I am growing up to be. I have matured a lot since my passion for clothing first began. Being mentioned on tournament websites and on scouting reports for basketball throughout my AAU career is something I am very proud of as well.

What made FIDM right for you? The Apparel Industry Management Program is the perfect major for giving me the tools that I need to reach my career goals. 

Describe your entrance project. I had trouble finding inspiration until about a week before my appointment when a song lyric hit me. I immediately started sketching and it led me to create a 10-page black and red booklet. My essay was on the first two pages followed by outfits of my clothing line, which I had sketched. My clothing targeted the young hip-hop and skateboarding cultures.

On the back of every page in the booklet, I taped the album artwork of artists such as Kanye West, Curren$y, Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, A Tribe Called Quest, Jay-Z, and many more. The reason for the album art was because many of the artists' lyrics and styles inspired my sketches.

What are your career goals? I want to create a line that caters to the hip-hop and skateboarding community. I hope to fulfill my dream of owning a store in Los Angeles. I long for the day when music artists, skaters, actors, actresses, and athletes come in to my store to shop. Expanding my clothing internationally is a goal of mine as well. To open up stores in countries across the world is something I have dreamed of for quite a while. But for the most part, I want my clothing line to be successful enough to give back to my entire family.
 
What do you expect to learn at FIDM? I expect to learn the skills needed to efficiently manage a clothing company. I want to learn everything there is to know about successfully managing and producing my line. I can't explain how much I am looking forward to the education FIDM will provide me with.

Style Must: Shourouk Brass and Crystal Bib Necklace

Yep, I'd pretty much say we're dying over this necklace over here. Jaw dropping, falling out of my chair, heart beating wildly. And head over heels in L-O-V-E. I'm imagining soooo many outfits with this most adorable bib necklace by Paris-based designer Shourouk. Cascading brass tassels and brilliant clear and green crystals make it so unique. It's one of those necklaces you keep forever and keep in the fam for generations to come.

Just picture all the cute clothes that would be made even cuter with this outstanding statment necklace. OK, the gushing needs to end. Just sayin'...it's a style must!

Beauty Buzz: Get Rockstar Hair and Makeup Like Stevie Nicks

Have you seen the rockstar fashions new on FashionClub.com? Now, you've got to check out our amazing hair and makeup beauty tutorials on Beauty Buzz! Get legendary music icon Stevie Nicks's boho-chic look, perfect for upcoming music fests! Plus, we list the products you need and the face chart to get the look.

 

FIDM Street Style!

Bianca, Brea, & Emily | Fashion Design

And yes, true to form as a budding fashion designer, those ARE really bobbins Emily is donning as earrings!

Rebecca | Fashion Design

Haley D. | Merchandise Product Development & Carolina H. |  Visual Communications

Just Accepted Visual Communications Student is Inspired by Rachel Zoe and Wants to be a Stylist

Full Name: Caitlan Szabo

Age: 19

Hometown: Long Beach, CA

Year in School or Previous College History: Some Community College

FIDM Major: Visual Communications

FIDM Campus and Start Date: Orange County, Fall 2012

Admissions Advisor: Susan Pope

Tell us a bit about yourself. Among other things, I love fashion and I love to shop. I am blessed to have landed a job at Nordstrom where I get to surround myself with things I enjoy, as well as helping others feel beautiful. It’s very rewarding.

My Nordstrom carreer  has lead me to the realization that I want to spend the majority of my life doing something that I enjoy. I'm in love with the fashion industry and making a difference in people’s lives. My inspiration at this time in my life is Rachel Zoe. She is an amazingly talented, strong woman and I aspire to be like her.

What are your proudest accomplishments so far? I am proud of the woman I have grown up to be. I have a good head on my shoulders and have surrounded myself with people who have integrity and authenticity. I’m proud of the way I carried myself through this journey which has lead me to FIDM and pursuing a career in fashion.

What made FIDM right for you? The atmosphere at FIDM caught my eye. After touring and meeting people at FIDM, I got an immediate "at-home" feeling. I fit right in with the other students and that’s an amazing feeling. FIDM has so many more things to offer me than your standard college; it feels like "the sky’s the limit" here.  I’m inspired, hopeful, and excited!

Describe your entrance project. My favorite outfit was the inspiration for my three entrance projects. I used it as my overall theme. I created a little boutique that was reflective of my personal style by using circles, triangles, and squares; I made a Jeffrey Campbell "Lita." I wanted to use acutal objects as those shapes so I used flowers for the circles, cutouts of lace triangles, and mosaic tiles for squares.

For my window display I kept it simple. I had a wooden design in the background and three models wearing bohemian-inspired clothing to portray what would be inside. The interior display of my store was a boutique so it was very clean and didn’t incorporate too many pieces that would overwhelm the client. Throughout my three projects I used coordinating colors and designs. I used real leather and denim to give texture.

What are your career goals? I plan to become a personal stylist! Styling is my passion and I love creating looks for people and being the one to make them feel amazing in whatever they wear. If given the opportunity, event planning is also an interest of mine.

What do you expect to learn at FIDM?  I want to really learn the way of the business and the lifestyle of being in this industry. I am excited to be hands-on and be working on my major right off the bat -- I can’t wait to explore all the aspects of the Visual Communications major.

IMPD Grad Continues Her Studies with Bachelor of Science Degree at FIDM

Whidbey Island native Ariel Carroll just graduated from FIDM with a degree in International Manufacturing & Product Development (IMPD). She is continuing her studies with plans to finish her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management at FIDM by March 2013.

Name: Ariel Carroll

Campus: Los Angeles

Major: Product Development/International Manufacturing and Product Developement

Hometown: Whidbey Island, Washington

Tell us a little about yourself: I a grew up on a hippy island, and I ended up in the big city of Los Angeles, going to FIDM—I am loving my life here. Wouldn't change it for anything. I am 21 years old and have my second Associates Degree and will be finishing my BS in March 2013. I love so many aspects of design and product development that it is so hard to decide what I want to end up doing in my career. So, I plan to go with what life gives me and stay at the top!

What is one of your proudest accomplishments? The fact that I have made it this far. I've been indecisive in the past, and now I am on a track that I love and I am doing well at it.

Tell us about your experience in the IMPD Program: I designed missy tops for our target mom. This program was the best. I made so many connections and friendships, and gained so much knowledge that I can take with me throughout my educational journey and career path. My teachers have been absolutely amazing, and traveling to Europe and Hong Kong has given me a new perspective on research and manufacturing. 

What was the biggest lesson you learned in the IMPD Program? Teamwork. It's not always about what you think is going to sell; it's about research, validation, and working with your team to collaborate on determining the best trends. 

Tell us a little about your traveling experience in the IMPD Program: I traveled first to Paris, France and Milan, Italy for trend research. My experience at Premiere Vision and Trend Union, and observing street fashion helped me in my trend research; it was something else. Knowing that Europe is 1.5 years ahead of American fashion made it a little easier to go there and pull what I think will sell in America and use that to inspire my designs. Later in the program we went to Hong Kong for production. We looked at manufacturers to get the real experience of what it is like to visit a factory. This gave me real life experience, which helped me to understand it better.

Tell us about the upcoming Fall 2012 trends: We mainly did reseach on trends for Fall 2012. I saw blush tones and pastels giving a feminine feel, even in the fall season, mixed with complimentary rich dull colors.

What fashion sites/blogs do you love? Stylesight, Doneger, and WGSN

How did you hear about FIDM and what made you decide to go here? I told a family friend, who is a teacher at a college, that that I was interested in clothing; he told me I had to check out FIDM. I had looked at other college campuses, but I didn't feel like they were home. When I looked at FIDM, I knew it was for me!

How did you choose your major? I wanted something that involved design and business. And Product Development fit this description to a T.

What are your career goals and how is FIDM helping you get there? Through my majors I realized that I enjoy many aspects of the industry. I definitely want to go into product development in a well known company, more corporate at first, and then I will let life come at me. As long as I love my job and I'm still learning, I will be happy.

What advice do you have for someone thinking about going to FIDM? If you like fashion then COME ON OVER! This is the place to be if your heart is in it. You will have a blast!

Anything else you'd like to share? I loved my experience here so much, and I'm sad that the IMPD Program is now over for me.

Free Saturday Workshop: May 19

You’re invited!

Our next free, monthly workshop is “Tools to Land the Job” on Saturday, May 19, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Please join us on the Los Angeles campus or the San Diego campus as we kick-start your summer job search. Learn how to prepare for your first job interview, from what to wear to how to answer commonly-asked questions. RSVP now!

FIDM LA Campus
919 S. Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90015

FIDM San Diego Campus
350 Tenth Avenue, Third Floor
San Diego, CA 92101

Fragrance Trends: Calvin Klein CK ONE Summer

Fragrance designer and FIDM Instructor André Barnwell is our guest beauty blogger, reviewing fragrances and reporting on fragrance trends.

André says...

Calvin Klein takes its CK ONE brand and gives it a summer twist. CK ONE Summer is an energizing combination of top notes blue mint, cucumber, lime, and bergamot; middle notes of water lotus, fresh watery accord, rosemary, and green apple; and base notes of rum cocktail, sandalwood, driftwood, and sea moss.

Although CK ONE Summer is categorized as a unisex fragrance, this one might favor the men more than the women. CK ONE Summer is available in a 3.4 oz. eau de toilette spray.   

André Barnwell is a fragrance designer and instructor at FIDM who teaches Fundamentals of Fragrance in the Beauty Industry Merchandising & Marketing Program.

Style Must: Fiorentini & Baker Boots

Forget the music, fashion is what it's all about at any respectable music fest (of course you expect Fashion Club to say something like that, right!).

Cute clothes and awesome footwear were in abundance at Coachella and SXSW. Sasquatch and Bonnaroo will most certainly be no exception.

We noticed booties are one of the hottest trends. They're perfect for trodding around at an outdoor concert. You know—mud and dirt! Plus, they go with everything—cut-off denim shorts, mini-skirts, maxi dresses, you name it. These Fiorentini & Baker boots are a style must. They would look amazing with a boho-chic lacey tunic, don't you think?

Dress For Less: Sunglasses

Dress for less in sunglasses, or as they say in Aussieland, sunnies. Happy Friday, everyone!

1. Aviator Sunglasses, $5.80, forever21.com
2. Retro-style Sunglasses, $6.95, hm.com
3. Ikat Print Sunglasses, $32, topshop.com
4. Poolside Round Frame Sunglasses, $16, urbanoutfitters.com
5. Brown Animal-Print Sunglasses, $9.94, oldnavy.com